Undertale: Aftermath
by xXKillingMeSoftlyXx
Summary: A Sans/Frisk Genocide story. Most people like the story, but I'll let you judge it! And this is a really bad summary because I have no clue what to put here...
1. Chapter 1

**Small Note: So this is my first time writing something like this, and I've probably done a crappy job, but I hope you enjoy it!**

Part 1: Betrayal Kill

 **POV: SANS**

 **Snowdin was silent.**

Grilllby and Riverperson had already taken care of evacuating everyone; I came back when I could to check on their progress. My footprints were just one pair among many in the compact snow, though the other tracks were much more panicked in nature. I had just given the human their final warning. They'd be coming through here any minute now. They weren't my primary concern, however.

Somehow, in all of the chaos, I had forgotten about my brother.

I called out his name upon entering the house, the warm atmosphere doing nothing to relieve me of my chills. I checked every room but there was no sign of him... a torrent of echoing questions filled the unnatural silence.

Did he leave with the others? Did he go warn the citizens in Waterfall? Was he getting Undyne at that very moment? There was only one way to find out, even if it opened up the possibly of being exposed to less than happy outcomes.

As I began to open the front door from the inside, I froze at the sight of the dust-covered human walking past, mindlessly adjusting their bandanna. Their face was as expressionless as when I first shook their hand. Despite the powder coating the kid's gloves, I was filled with hope.

It wasn't too late - not yet.

I could still save Papyrus.

 **POV: FRISK**

 **The corridor is silent.**

I march down the golden hall for what must be the 100th time at this point. I'm not scared of him anymore, of dying however horrifically. I know his patterns now. I could try to go for a no-hit run if I had the patience. But I've already wasted enough time with this comedian who can't count past a dozen. This is going to end, right here, right now, one way or another.

"let's just get straight to the point," he sighs. It seems the lazy bones agrees with me. He doesn't even bother with his whole "burning in hell" prelude; just a "ready?" before what he calls his strongest attack... though I've gotten far enough in the past to know he still has some unholy special attack up his sleeve.

I imagine hardcore rock music playing in the background as the duel commences. Before long, a plethora of white and blue bones, missed attacks, stick out of the floor and walls. Some of the pillars and windows have had holes blasted through them by his weird laser things.

The skeleton sweats, and I am filled with hope.

This will be the last time.

 **POV: SANS**

 **I was silent.**

I stayed right behind the human, hoping to get the jump on them when they entered the foggy steam created by the melting ice in Waterfall. Just as I reached out my hand to turn their SOUL blue, a second, instantly recognizable silhouette emerged from the grey ahead of us. As long as he was watching, I wouldn't dare attack them outright.

In that moment, my worst fears came to life... but I was about to realize something even worse than what I'd ever imagined possible.

I couldn't remember the last time I ran, but I did that day, faster than ever before... only to hit some unseeable barrier head-on, knocking me down.

"oww." I rubbed my skull, wincing from the sudden, sharp pain. In retrospect, a I was lucky to have not died from that, what with only having one HP and all.

"what the... when did this get here?" I wondered as I stood. I tried reaching my hand forward, and a few inches in front of me, I felt... something. The sensation is hard to describe, but it was sorta like... an electric waterfall. It certainly wasn't pleasant, but it didn't really hurt either. Of course, that wasn't what matter; the important part was that I couldn't reach through it, no matter how far I stretched.

I subconsciously started paying closer attention to the words coming from the other side, all in my brother's voice.

"IT FEELS... THAT YOUR LIFE IS GOING DOWN A DANGEROUS PATH."

Just from that sentence, I knew what he intended, and that was when the gravity of the situation sent me plummeting into the Earth's core.

The human was going to kill him.

 **POV: FRISK**

 **I wish I didn't remember.**

The memories were locked away in the back of my mind the whole time. With each death, the chains loosened, and the photo was the key that set them free to occupy the fractures in my fragmented brain. The big-boned skeleton was right after all.

I had gone through the Underground before, without killing a single monster. I had made new friends and, with their support, survived the wrath of a lost child playing god. The fallen prince broke the barrier and we all got to go free. I started a life with Toriel and the others on the surface. It was a rough start, considering what humans are like, but for the most part, we were... happy. I certainly wasn't angry at any of them or bored of my new home.

So why? Why did I go back?

... How did I go back?

I don't remember ever considering starting over - I didn't know until now that I could go back father than my most recent SAVE point. I certainly don't remember planning to reset so that I could kill all the members of my newfound family.

The last thing I remember is having Mettaton take that very photo with me, Sans, Papyrus, Undyne, Alphys, Toriel, and Asgore in it. Somehow, it all got... erased. And now Sans thinks I was the one to undo our happy ending.

My hands are sweating storms. Any second now, my body will involuntarily attack, and I'll go back to robot mode, acting out of pure survival instinct and memorization. But now that I know the truth... now that I remember getting to know all these monsters I've committed genocide on... I can't let myself be brainwashed again.

He said, "if we're really friends, you won't come back."

And this time, I'll prove him right.

I stand slowly, my entire body quaking. Sans' eyes snap open with muffled grunts, as if he fell asleep in the middle of our battle. I don't know what will happen to me if I let go of my determination when he kills me - if I refuse to reload my SAVE - but I hope I'll get the chance to start over one final time. I know I don't deserve it, but they do.

Maybe I'll even get some answers from whomever or whatever ruined everything.

I just can't understand.

 **POV: SANS**

 **[*FIGHT]**

Papyrus' neck collapsed from the force of the punch and his body crumbled to dust before my already red eyes. A sudden gust of wind blowing from Waterfall in my direction scattered his remains among the fog and snowflakes. I could only watch it sail above my head, out of reach; so close and yet so far.

To my utter shock, however, his head remained fully intact. It landed lightly in the snow, the human inching forward towards it.

What's left of my little brother stammered, "WELL... THAT'S NOT WHAT I EXPECTED," in a manner in which I knew he was lying. What was left of my SOUL shattered. He already knew it was hopeless, and yet his integrity compelled him to try anyway.

"STILL... I... I BELIEVE IN YOU!" he continued, his voice slowly fading. "YOU CAN DO A LITTLE BETTER! EVEN IF YOU DON'T THINK SO!"

The human paused right in front of him, so that I couldn't see his dying expression. It's probably for the best. They didn't seem to know what to do. I could just barely hear the final words he said before his skull dissolved:

"I... I PROMISE..."

My hand remained outstretched to Papyrus, waiting for the invisible wall to fade. By the time the human disappeared from sight and I was free to step forward, my arm was limp, and I'd run out of tears. All the water had already been wring out of me. I was hollow.

There was nothing left to mourn over when I reached the spot where he'd been murdered. My brother was gone. The only chance I had of getting him back was if his killer RESET again, so I hid away with Alphys and watched.

And waited.

Waited for my chance to FIGHT.

Waiting to step into my role as judge.

I counted the times the human died to Undyne, but eventually, despite her valor, she became predictable. I don't know what Alphys would have done when she turned to dust if I hadn't been there. I reminded her that she still had to evacuate those in the MTT hotel and promised I would call Asgore to tell him to absorb the six humans SOULs.

But if there's any one trait my family shares, it's that we can't keep our promises. I knew it was pointless; this kid found a way to break the barrier in another timeline - what was a god to them?

I wish I could have been there for Alphys and Napstablook when Mettaton was murdered, but I had a job to do. At this point, the human knew they were nearing the end, and they clearly intended to finish, no matter the consequences. If Undyne the Undying, as Alphys lovingly knighted her, couldn't crush their spirit and get them to give up, what chance did I have?

Yet I was going to try anyway. I had to. I couldn't save Papyrus, but I wasn't going to pass up on my opportunity to get revenge when it finally came.

Though Undyne always had a flair for the overdramatic, she did have a point. For the future of both humans and monsters... for the sake of everyone's hopes and dreams...

The human had to die.

 **POV: FRISK**

 **[*MERCY]**

My knife clatters to the scorched floor. He lets out a deep sigh, as if he's been holding his breath. What he doesn't realize is that this is a victory for both of us - for all of us.

"...you're sparing me?" he asks in genuine disbelief. I use the little strength I have to nod, tears dangling from the corners of my eyes.

"finally. buddy. pal." he winks. I try my hardest to smile.

"i know how hard it must be to make that choice. to go back on everything you've worked up to." He wipes the sweat from his forehead as he speaks.

"i want you to know..." He begins to step forward. I stand my ground, resolved to my fate.

"i won't let it go to waste." He stops a half a foot in front of me.

"c'mere, pal." he winks a second time, arms outstretched in a familiar position. I can finally see the familial resemblance.

I take in a deep breath, then march up to my self-appointed executioner, one step at a time. When I reach him, I complete his embrace, letting myself fall into him so I can save my strength for when the attack comes. Hopefully it's less painful the second time.

I look up and see his right eye glow, switching from light blue, the color of patience, to yellow - the color of justice. In this case, he's delivering justice as a classic dish of revenge served cold.

Being essentially immune to death for so long makes it nearly impossible for me to fully comprehend my current situation; if I could, I probably wouldn't have made this choice. But now I have to accept it.

I am about to die.

 **POV: SANS**

 **Fate is in my hands.**

I summon the bones with barley a second thought. I give them their final piece of advice as their HP drains, but I know they won't listen. Papyrus already gave them a proper chance, and they were too determined to let Undyne win. Makes me wonder why they fell for such an obvious trap, especially after considering it for so long.

Then again, they've already fought me enough times to memorize most of my early attacks... they probably just wanted to see what I'd do before they go for the kill, so to speak.

No matter. I see their SOUL splintering down the middle. Turns out victory actually tastes bittersweet. With how well they did up to this point, I have a feeling this next duel will be my last.

Well, it was fun slaying demons. Better make this fight a good one then - for my own sake of course, not theirs.

They're just a dirty brother killer. I've already given them all they deserve.

 **GAME OVER**

YOU CHOOSE TO...

 **QUIT.**

QUITTING ...

...

This world will continue on without you.

They have to live with the

 **CONSEQUENCES.**

* * *

 **So yeah, that's what I have so far. I hope I did okay, and if you have any suggestions on how I can improve on my writing I would greatly appreciate it! But that's all for now, so I'll see ya later!**


	2. Chapter 2: Consequences

**Another small note: Hey again! So I made it longer, yay! And I don't feel like it's as good as the first part, but I hope you enjoy it!**

Part 2: Consequences

 **"This is all just a bad dream...**

 **"Wake up... Sans..."**

"huh... what?" I snore, slowly coming to. My vision takes some moments to clear up; at first all I can see is bright gold. After blinking a few times and rubbing my eye sockets, I can tell that I'm in the last corridor before the king's throne, with warm light glowing through the towering stained glass windows.

 **Wait... the king...**

I slowly spin around on my heels and see the imposing figure of Asgore Dreemurr in full royal garb. There's a sense of weariness in his posture, but his eyes still have that fatherly warmth and concern to them that I suppose is what draws everyone to him.

"oh, hey asgore. what... what are you doin' here? shouldn't you be... watering some flowers or something?" I yawn.

He doesn't seem at all phased by my sleepy, casual demeanor. "I could say the same thing to you, Sans. When I came in just a few moments ago you were shaking and mumbling... and your eye was... how long have you been here?"

"uh... it's still the afternoon, right?" I ask with a nervous laugh.

"...The sun just rose." he sighs. "Have you been here all night?"

All night?! That's impossible, there's no way the kid wouldn't have gotten here by now-

 **the kid.**

I turn back around and finally begin to notice that the heavenly hallway isn't as pristine as it was when I first arrived. Blue and white bones are sticking out of the walls, and some of the pillars have holes blasted through them. Blood streaks cross the floor. I'm beginning to remember now, though it's difficult to sort out memories and nightmares.

I killed the human, and it certainly wasn't the first time. That has to be the case!... but then...

 **Why are they still dead?**

I flinch at the sudden weight of his paw on my shoulder. "You know... I probably would not have found you here if Alphys did not call me asking about you. She was very apologetic when she realized she woke me of course," he says with a slight chuckle, followed by an uncomfortable pause.

"But she said she couldn't sleep, because she knew there was a killer... a human child... coming here... and that you said you would try to stop them before they reached me."

Oh right... I was supposed to tell Asgore about the kid over the phone, after they killed Undyne. Oops. Not that it really ended up mattering, I guess.

"Sans... you do realize that, as king, it is my duty to protect all of my people, do you not?"

"well, i got 'em for ya this time. sorry." I sigh through my strained smile.

"I can see. Do you still have the SOUL?"

 **The SOUL.**

 **Oh no, the SOUL.**

It's only now that I notice there is no longer a SAVE point at the entrance to the corridor. Somehow, the human has removed themself entirely from the timeline...

leaving those few of us left with still one more SOUL to collect before we can finally go free.

Not that any of us really have much of a future left regardless.

"when i killed 'em... it..." I don't dare look him in the face, not knowing whether to expect fury or disappointment. "it broke. and then the pieces, they just straight up vanished. i would've brought it right over otherwise."

"Of course." He lifts his paw from my shoulder, but I don't feel any lighter. The air is strained with tension. The unbearable silence is diluted by the faint chirping of birds from somewhere outside.

Somehow, in an attempt to break the ice, we both end up saying at the same time, "It's a beautiful day outside."

It only makes things more awkward. To think this is our first formal meeting... then again, I've never been good at making a good first impression. Or second impression, for that matter.

He finally picks the conversation back up. "I appreciate your honesty, Sans. I will call Alphys to let her know that the danger has passed. And then... we will look to the future."

He looks me dead in the eye. "I trust you will be a part of those discussions?"

I step back, faced with a responsibility beyond my understanding. Why trust someone who can only look back to guide your future? Especially when the one time I thought I saw our future - one of total destruction - I was wrong?

"sorry your majesty, i'm not the skeleton you're looking for." I admit. "i'll tell Alphys that she and the others can come out of hiding, but then i'm out of this. she's way smarter than i ever was anyway - you made her royal scientist for a reason, right?"

As I walk past him, he tries to stop me, saying, "Sans, are you implying that you - where are you going? That's the way to the throne room, I thought you were going to-"

"i know. but don't worry about me," I assure him halfheartedly, stopping at the exit shrouded in shadows.

"i've got a shortcut."

* * *

For a moment the world cuts to black, and then I'm inside Alphys' laboratory, standing right before the giant surveillance screen. The camera's fixed on, weirdly enough, our... MY house.

She was probably looking to see if I'd gone home yet before calling Asgore. Though I don't remember her ever mentioning having a camera there... I try not to think about the potential implications of it as I walk over to the elevator door.

Unfortunately, it's locked. I probably should've told Asgore to let Alphys know I'm coming. Wouldn't be a problem if she didn't change her voice-activated password out of paranoia every over week. I'm really not up to critical thinking right now, but I have to find some way to get in...

Actually... I wonder... the original password must still be in the memory banks, right? She would never have thought to erase it cause... well... to be fair even I can barely remember him. Might as well give it a shot.

Gotta take a deep breath... haven't said it in a long time, and I always feel weird afterwards.

 **"W.D. Gaster"**

For a second it seems like nothing happened... but then the door slowly slides open with a squeal like I'm in an unoriginal horror movie. I don't even have to choose a floor once I step inside, it just goes right down. Takes a while, though, and in the murky darkness my deeper thoughts get a chance to surface.

I still haven't really faced the reality that I killed someone yet. That I willfully took the life of another person - a child. And of all people, I know best how permanently such an act can change a person. It's part of my job as judge.

Not to say that I was above LOVE 1 before... but now? Who knows how much EXP a genocidal megalomaniac human is worth? Maybe I actually have more than one point in all of my stats now. I don't feel stronger though... only one way to find out, I guess.

I pull out my SOUL just as the elevator door opens, leaving my new stats out for everyone to see. Alphys is standing right in front of me, presumably having run over when she heard the elevator descending. I see her reaction before I can read the numbers for myself, and the look of horror on her face is all I need. With a snap of my fingers the SOUL disappears, but her expression only relaxes slightly.

"i-i did it. we're safe." I stutter in as genuine a voice as I can muster.

"Oh, Sans," she sighs, tears clinging to the bottom rims of her glasses. "It's... it's..."

She knows she can't say it's okay, but what she ends up saying instead surprises me.

 **"Thank you."**

Without warning she runs forward, and I find myself in a bear hug. Most of me wants to squirm out, but I don't want to be rude, and she clearly isn't in the best state of mind at the moment. Besides, it's... nevermind.

"I-I was r-really worried, you know... after what happened with... with Mettaton... and..." As she forces out the words her arms drop. "And Undyne... and everyone..."

She takes in a sharp breath and looks me right in the eyes. "Is - is Asgore-?"

"he's fine." I assure her, slipping by her out of the elevator. "you should probably go see him once we get everyone back to their homes. i... didn't manage to get the kid's SOUL, so we're still gonna be down here for a while..."

"O-oh yes, of c-course!" she exclaims. "I'm s-sure everyone will be s-so excited to h-hear the news! They'll d-definitely be glad to get out of this creepy p-place." She gazes down the moldy green hallway and lets out a deep sigh before walking off, the echoes of her pattering feet ringing loudly in the silence.

"At least... I won't have to keep any secrets from anyone anymore," Alphys reasons aloud as I hurry to catch up. "They all know what I did, and... well, I don't think they'll ever really forgive me, but they understand, and that's enough for me." Hearing the long-lost confidence in her voice fills me with a sense of nostalgia for times long lost... times before all of this.

As we turn the corner she suddenly stops and turns to me.

"You know Sans, I d-don't think you should h-have to keep secrets from anyone anymore either. I... don't think you should keep suffering on your own."

She ignores the feigned look of confusion I give her.

"Whatever happened since we stopped being... friends, I still know you well enough to tell there's more going on with you - even before the human showed up. I... I want to help you stop hurting... if you'll let me. It doesn't have to be like before, I don't think I want that anymore... but it's going to be hard from here on out. No one should be alone in a time like this."

 **"...Sans? Why are you..."**

 **"you wanna hear somethin' funny, al?"**

She gives me a weird look, but nods.

"the day the human came out of the ruins... i woke up crying. i'd had a dream that we were... we were all free, alphys. me and you and paps and undyne and mettaton and asgore and... everybody. we were all just chillin' on the surface like we'd never been underground.

it was perfect... and then it just cut off. and it was dark, and static, and... and i couldn't move.

then i woke up. and paps was there, he heard me shouting or somethin' and was worried about me. and you know what he said, alphys?

he told me, 'I know you well enough to tell when there's more going on with you. I want to help you stop hurting, if you'll let me. I don't think you should keep suffering on your own. No one should ever be alone when they're hurting.'"

I can barley hold myself together. My eye sockets are burning and my tears feel acidic when they land on my bones. My face feels like it's cracking at the seams keeping my smile in place, but I know that if I stop smiling, I'll die on the spot, because that would mean admitting there isn't any hope.

She helps me to sit on the grimy floor. Her voices fades in and out. "I-I'm so sorry, I- I didn't mean to... well... if that's... what he wanted you to do then... you s-should still do it, y'know? Tell me what's wrong, if it would make him happy."

If it would make Papyrus happy...

What he would want me to do...

What... he... would... do...

A dark thoughts begins to boil in my mind, the fumes filling up my skull.

"EVERYONE CAN BE A GOOD PERSON, IF THEY JUST TRY!"

No matter how hard I try to suppress it, it finds new crevices to erupt from.

 ***PAPYRUS is sparing the human.**

 ***THE HUMAN is sparing you.**

How did I not realize this then?! How could I have forgotten about... how could I be so...

 ***FIGHT - Papyrus**

 ***FIGHT - Human**

I sentenced that child to the same fate that they delivered to my brother...

It should feel like perfect justice, and yet...

I find my hand drawn to the photo tucked inside my hoodie. The one time I ever saw the human's smile... except for when I k-kil...

 **"i'm a hypocrite."**

"What?" Alphys asks with clear shock. "Where did that come from? What does that even have to do with-"

"i'm no better than the kid...

i don't deserve to be here...

 **not if he's-"**

"Sans, stop thinking like that!" she pleads, reaching for my hand. "None of us are perfect - trust me, I know firsthand - but... if it wasn't for you, the human could have killed Asgore! And after that, who knows what they'd do!"

"alphys, i'm literally a child murderer," I interrupt in as dry a voice as I can force up my throat, pushing her hand away. "don't even bother trying to defend me."

"Sans, come on. I thought you... you seemed..." She's at a loss for words. "You... you were always the strong one. I-if I can do this, then I'm sure that you -"

"wow, you really know absolutely nothing about me, do you?" I laugh. It's SO funny, I can't stop. Tears run down my face-

"i can't stay here." I force myself up off the ground, despite her attempts to pull me back down, and head back towards the elevator. "good luck, really. to all of you."

"Wh-where are you going?!" she cries, leaping to her feet and tripping over herself as she struggles to keep up with me. "Why don't you just stay here with everyone else for a little bit, we can help you, we all... we all care about you, Sans."

I stop right at the end of the hallway. Without turning back, I respond, "i forgot how to care a long time ago. sorry." I step inside and press the button. The elevator doors slam shut before she can reach me. I hope she doesn't hate me for this. I would certainly hate myself. I probably will once I'm sitting alone on the old couch thinking all of this over.

 **All I can see red...**

Papyrus' red scarf... the kid's red SOUL...

 **Both gone...**

and there's nothing I can do about it.

* * *

As I walk out of the lab I spot something unusual on the giant monitor. Standing by the back of my house is the outline of a small flower with six yellow petals... a face I most certainly did not want to see again. At least now I know what I want to do with the rest of the day.

In an instant, I'm back in the lab where I first found the impossible photo. I need to make sure I surprise the weed when I step on out or else he'll just disappear again. So the second I open the door, I reach out to turn his SOUL blue and pull him right out of the ground...

but the flower just turns and smiles.

"Oh boy, look who finally decided to show up: it's everybody's favorite Smiley Trashbag!" he giggles with manufactured surprise. His voice sounds much less demonic than I remember... more like a creepy little boy than some Lovecraftian abomination.

I snap my fingers, and though I still get no reaction from his SOUL, I do see his stats flicker for a moment... and suddenly I'm actually slightly nervous. How did a flower - oh sorry, "Flowey" (even I could come up with a better name than that) - even manage to get up to that high LOVE? Not quite as high as the kid's was though. This weed will certainly be easier to kill, if it comes down to that.

"Sorry old buddy old pal, but it turns out I'm even more soulless than YOU are!" he winks. My eye lights up for a moment but I get myself to stop. I won't get distracted by petty insults when it's clear he wanted to see me.

"i'm really not in the mood right now. if you could just tell me why you're making a pathetic attempt to stalk me, that'd be great." I mumble.

A smirk morphs onto the little demon's face.

"You know, you used to be a lot more fun. But hey, who can blame you?"

Used to be... hold on, is this prick-

Before I can even think to attack, a vine squeezes around my arms. Somehow the brat is strong enough to just barley lift me off of the crystalline snow. The thorns dissuade me from attempting to slip out.

"You can blame me for all the problems in your life later," Flowey chuckles in a tone that would make my blood boil, if I had any. "First, I have a question for YOU."

His eyes take on that hateful red glow, and he hisses his next few words like a viper.

"What did you do that made them quit? And don't just say 'durr I killed them' or else I'll-"

"You'll what? You won't kill me if you want the information that badly," I interrupt smugly.

"Ugh," Flowey groans, putting a leaf to his forehead(?), "Do you take ANYTHING seriously? Look, this kid wouldn't have just given up, not after getting past Undyne." He shudders at the mention of her name, and I crack my first genuine grin in what feels like forever. It doesn't last, of course.

"So what did you do... what did you say... to make the human with a soul full of Determination... give... up?"

I swear I can see fangs growing out from his curled upper lip, and there's no benefit to concocting a lie, so I try to remember exactly what I said to the kid after preforming my betrayal kill. There was a stupid meme, and then... oh. Right. An oldie but goodie.

 **"if we're really friends...**

 **you won't come back."**

I repeat as much to the stupid flower and for a moment he seems... impressed?

"Wow. Harsh," he whistles. "No wonder they're too afraid to RESET right away."

Huh? "what... what are you..."

Flowey's eyes narrow further. "You really ARE an idiot."

"i prefer bonehead," I quip back, finger guns and all.

He doesn't even acknowledge my pun. "If the human really was gone for good... well, let's just say that I'D be the one in control. But no, no matter how hard I try, I can't get the darn RESET button to appear - and I'm not gonna risk forcing myself to reload my SAVE point by dying."

"i could help you with that," I tease with a wink.

"I'd rather not."

"figured. so the human's still around... but they're not here?"

"Pretty much. I looked over the entire Underground while you were getting your beauty sleep, but there's no sign of them anywhere." Flowey sighs again, then mutters just under his breath, "Not that I wanted to see them again; it's really a miracle that they're gone."

"...you think they're ever going to reset?" I ask. "seems like if anyone could guess that, it'd be you, and i'd like to know now my chances of being stuck in this shitty timeline."

"What, do you think we discuss evil plans over picnic lunches or something?" he scoffs in response. "I mean, from what I could tell this was their first run..."

My mind immediately registers that there's something off about this. "so you don't know about it either? huh, that's weird."

"About what, you bag of bones?" he questions offhandedly.

 **"This."**

With a slightly shaking hand I cautiously reach into my hoodie and pull out the photo. Flowey leans in to see it. It seems to take a second to register, but once it does, the shock bursts onto his face and paralyzes him to the extent that he finally drops me. I brush myself off and quickly put the photo away before Flowey can think to snag it for himself.

"H... how did they... DO that?!" he gasps incredulously. "Why can't I... remember..."

"beats me." I shrug. "if it helps, i don't remember it either."

"SHUT IT!" Flowey yells with sudden aggression. "Just when I start feeling some shred of sympathy for you..."

"wait, aren't you soulless or whatever?"

"That's not the point," he grumbles through his clenched lips. "The POINT is that this human can do whatever they want to us, and as soon as they RESET, none of us will remember a thing."

The flower begins trembling violently. His voice explodes out of him. "They could have killed everyone a million times over by now, and they'll probably end up doing it another million!"

"us?" I scoff. "aren't you two buddy-buddy or whatever? i mean i might just be assuming but-"

"If you believe THAT, then you're just as clueless as I was." Flowey admits. "They had to remind me of my own rule:

 **In this world...**

 **it's KILL or BE KILLED."**

It's weird seeing the stupid little demon looking so... resigned. He's like a bratty flower version of myself.

To be fair, he raises a good point. When Flowey was apparently the only anomaly, I guess he was never too big a threat for me to think of resorting to drastic measures. I just... gave up and sorta let it happen.

But if it's a determined human causing all this... one that even Flowey is terrified of, then...

maybe it's about time to bring out the last resort.

"hey, quick question bucko," I ask, "in any of the timelines you've started and ended, did i ever show you my secret lab?"

"Why else do you think I was waiting for you back here, you dummy?" Flowey jabs back out of the side of his mouth.

"well, i'll betcha on your life that there's something in there you never saw." I wink.

"Oh really?" he sneers. "Let's see it then."

I lead the way in, flicking on the light switch as Flowey pulls himself through the ground. I stop in front of a stack of blueprints atop the desk.

"I've already read all those," he teases, "so don't even bother wasting my time with them."

"i guessed as much. you were probably so interested in them that you never even bothered to look in here," I say, gesturing to the two drawers beneath it. I grab the knob on the drawer to the right, but I pause for a moment, considering whether this is really a good idea.

Ah who am I kidding, I stopped caring about consequences when I learned how quickly they can be erased, with just a pinch of...

 **"determination."**

I say it with a little too much pride as I hold up the syringe, kept refrigerated by Snowdin's natural cold. Flowey seems mesmerized by the neon red liquid bubbling inside.

"Okay, HOW did you get that?!" he exclaims. "Cause I know for a fact that Alphys would NEVER just give that to ANYONE - especially not YOU."

"...you know, there's a history to this place that started long before you sprouted out of whatever malnourished pile of soil you were planted in." I sigh. "there are things even a reset won't allow you to see or change. events that are set in stone, as they should be."

As he starts giving me a confused look, I quickly follow up with, "that being said, she doesn't know i have this. i 'borrowed' it a while ago... at least in this timeline. long before the human showed up. as today shows, you never know how bad things can get."

As Flowey processes what I'm getting at, his face freezes out of pure disbelief.

"No... you couldn't mean..."

"i know it sounds insane," I admit with a shrug, "but you know what they say - true insanity is doing the same thing over and over, while expecting a different result."

"You - you've SEEN what that stuff does, you must have!" he shouts, in a tone that almost gives off an air of... concern? I mean, I already answered his question, he could have killed me at any point after that. But why he'd ever care about me, I have no clue.

"i know that. i also know just how much is safe to inject... or at least, a rough estimate," I assure him. "just enough to remember, so that if that kid does reset, I can give 'em their due."

But even as the words leave my mouth I can feel my heartbeat speeding up.

I recall what Alphys said just minutes before, about... Papyrus. If he knew about this and all of the implications involved, he would have done everything in his power - short of actually hurting me - to stop me.

 **But he isn't here.**

And I've already acted against his wishes today; it's why we're in this mess now. Things can't get much worse than this... right?

It's been a while since I've felt this stuck. I guess it makes sense. After so long refusing to take the initiative and make choices...

 **I just can't choose.**

* * *

 **So, um, yeah….. Sans has the decision of injecting himself with a small portion of stolen determination so he'll remember this timeline when it resets and be able to do something about it, or just wait to see what happens without taking the risk….. I'm really leaning towards him injecting himself, but I'd love to hear what anyone else thinks he should do! Anyways, the next part will hopefully be out soon for anyone who enjoys what I type. So I'll see ya next time!**


	3. Chapter 3: Termination

Part 3: Termination

 **PoV: Sans**

I turn the syringe of determination over in my hands for a few minutes, weighing all the potential pros and cons of the two options before me. Eventually, I realize that there is no "right" answer; it's simply a question of how far I'm willing to go. Of how much I care.

Papyrus' death replays over and over in my mind, with Flowey presumably just watching in silence, until it just makes me feel sick. That's when I know I can no longer stand to live in this loop. Since I can't trust Flowey, and pretty much anyone else with the strength to stop the human is dead, I'm the only one who can do this.

Besides, the worst case scenario is still better than just giving up... because if the kid listened to me and quit in the first place, then there's still hope.

I do the deed while Flowey's glaring at the wall in impatience, so that he doesn't ruin everything. By the time he turns his head it's already too late for him to stop me. When I remove the syringe from my right arm, it's gone from being full to a quarter empty... more than I initially intended, but definitely enough for my purposes.

All Flowey can do is stare at me, dumbfounded, as I return the syringe to its proper hiding place.

"...How stupid ARE you?" he questions incredulously while I lean back against the wall.

I quickly prepare a retort, but before I can fire back my response, an incredible pain starts pulsing through me, like an intense heat flowing out from my SOUL. It feels as though I'm being boiled from the inside out, even though skeleton monsters like myself technically don't even have insides.

"hold... on..." I heave under my breath, groaning only loud enough for myself to understand. "just for... a few... more... seconds... and... it'll go away..."

I have no way to confirm this, but it sounds reasonable. As I'm delivering this pep talk to an audience of one, one hand clutched over my chest, I notice a ring of faint purple on my shirt from my dysfunctional eye glowing. It seems that eye has become more sensitive due to the effects of the determination.

The pain does lessen significantly over the following moments, and my eye returns to normal, but that burning feeling still bubbles just beneath the

surface. Otherwise, I feel... stronger.

"How are ya holding up, Smiley Trashbag?" Flowey asks with genuine curiosity and only a slight edge of sacrcasm. I answer by once more pulling out my SOUL to show my stats. Maybe this time I can actually get a good look at them. I don't feel as nervous about it this time, likely because of my higher levels of determination... but maybe I should.

 **[BCI]"sans"**

 **Attack: 3**

 **Defense: 10**

 **HP: 2**

 **Speed: 56**

 **KILLS: 1**

 **EXP: 1,250**

 **LOVE: 10**

The terror on Flowey's face as his beady little eyes scroll down the screen would be comical in a different context, but even I am initially freaked out by it. I mean, I get the kid was at LOVE 19, but... doesn't that justify what I did?

 **Then again...**

 _ ***The kid is sparing you.**_

"Uh... I gotta go... now..." Flowey stammers. "Good luck, Sans, with... that... I'm just gonna... umm... yeah-"

Just before the weed disappears underground, my arm reflexively reaches out to snag his SOUL, despite already knowing the brat doesn't have one. Yet, this time, I actually manage to get him to freeze in place, a blue aura enveloping him.

"Hey, what are you- wait, I thought you couldn't-" he sputters before freezing up. "Oh... oh no..."

I realize at the same moment he does that this must be another side effect of the determination. In general, it seems to have "enhanced" my already existing abilities - now including my psychokinesis, no longer requiring a SOUL to grab onto. To be sure, I try pulling Flowey over to me, and all it takes is a flick of my wrist.

The flower wilts from my glare. In this moment, for once in my life, I am in full control of what happens next. I could easily kill him right now, but there's no real point if the kid just ends up resetting, and I'm too nervously cautious to raise my LOVE any higher, considering how apathetic I already am.

Wait... is that why I acted so abrasively towards Alphys in the lab...?

 _"The more you kill, the easier it becomes to distance yourself._

 _The more you distance yourself, the less you will hurt._

 _The more easily you can bring yourself to hurt others."_

 **That kid better RESET soon...**

 **but not quite yet.**

I like to act like I know everything, but really most of the things I say I know are just educated guesses based on experience and my own twisted logic. Now that the old man isn't around, the only one in the whole Underground with any real knowledge on RESETs is the anomaly himself. The information I've nearly driven myself insane over trying to figure out so many times is finally in my magical grasp... and I'm not just gonna let it slip away.

"Pl-please... don't kill me..." Flowey whimpers, his face morphing into an unfamiliar figure and his voice taking on a softer, weaker tone.

"don't sweat it, i'm not gonna waste any time and energy killing you," I assure him, my smile widening in delight at the power I posses over this murderer. "but before i can release you, we have to do a quick... interrogation."

I already have a location in mind, and I can't help but chuckle at the delicious irony. As my thoughts hone in on the place my body begins to glow and a tingling sensation overwhelms me. For a second the entire world goes pitch black expect for a tiny golden light in the distance, around which I see the faint outlines of two figures. One of them almost looks like... the kid?

But before I can squint to be sure, lines of code fly past my face, and I find myself standing at the edge of a platform inside the shiny sliver-blue CORE, just the place I'd been picturing a moment earlier.

Flowey looks utterly confounded, and I can't blame him; it took me a while to get used to my own teleportation power. I wonder if he saw the two figures in the black space as well... but I have more important questions to ask him at the moment.

"Why'd you bring me... here?" he asks nervously, his eyes drifting down to the bottomless pit surrounding the small platform. I want to drop him off on the ground - I'm getting tired of holding him up - but I can't give him any chance to escape.

"to make sure you tell me the truth. cause if you don't..." I wave my left hand across my body, floating Flowey across the platform and just above the endless darkness.

 **"you get yourself a one-way ticket to non-existence."**

Flowey's gaze slowly rises to meet mine, but then he laughs it off. "Yeah, as if." he snorts. "Tell me, genius: if you aren't lying like always about this, why would they build the generator for the entire Undeground's power system HERE?"

"i dunno, some science mumbo-jumbo i can't remember," I reply honestly.

He scoffs, but I can tell from the way his petals are shaking that he's taking me somewhat seriously.

"Nice try... but even then, I'll just come back," he retorts, the confidence in both his expression and voice growing as he speaks. "Yeah, you idiot! Killing me here and now doesn't accomplish anything but making YOU more of a... what's the word you used that one time? Oh right - MEGALOMANIC."

His ignorance is both surprising and downright hilarious. I can't help but break out into laughter, causing all the smugness on his face to vanish almost immediately. He probably figures that I've finally gone crazy, and maybe I have. When I regain control of myself, I decide to answer his question with another question.

 **"Flowey... have you ever heard of a guy called W. D. Gaster?"**

For a few moments he's silent, evidently scanning through his memories of past timelines. Eventually he strikes gold, as I can tell by the unbridled horror that ripples out across his face.

"You... you wouldn't..." he gasps incredulously. "You wouldn't DARE mess with something like that- don't you have ANY regard for consequences?"

"if you just answer my questions, we won't have to worry about it." I promise. "now let's not waste any more time. to start, i want you to tell me, yes or no...

 _ **were you the first anomaly?"**_

Flowey takes in a sharp breath. He looks as though he's about to speak but stops himself. With a sigh he answers, "Well, yeah, as far as I know."

Now onto the tough ones. "alright. so, when you had control over the timeline... how many times did YOU commit genocide?"

He clearly already knows that there's no good answer. After nearly a minute of silence, the darkness of the void below seemingly crawling higher with every passing second, his face takes on an expression of apathetic swagger, telling me that he thinks he has nothing to lose.

With a sneer he hisses, "More times than you could count. And I enjoyed every single one." He adds on as an aside, "Until I got YOU to act, that is. You've always been a pain."

Never one to pass up an opportunity for a quip, I respond, "i can see how someone like me would be a real

 _thorn in your side."_

In rage, his eyes take on that blood red glow I recognize from our first encounter in this timeline. He stares right into my SOUL, an eerie smile all too close to my own splitting up his face. "Don't act so cocky. You were never unbeatable... unlike Asgore. It was always the most satisfying to see YOUR worthless body crumble into dust."

I don't appreciate the comment, but I just barley resist the urge to summon a Gaster Blaster and incinerate him on the spot. I still want to confirm whether or not this was the flower Papyrus befriended before dropping him and eliminating him from our lives for good... But first, there's another question that just popped into my head.

"your lack of survival instincts makes me wonder... have we done this before?"

When he cocks his head in confusion, I clarify, "not necessarily the kid committing genocide or me injecting myself with DT, but... have we ever had a conversation like this, in this location? cause if so..." I let out a sigh before continuing, "i'd like to know what rational i had for not ending you when we were done. lord knows you're not giving me any sufficient reasons now."

I don't even get to read his expression before I see a blinding light out of the corner of my eye socket. I whip around without thinking and am faced with a wave of pure white about to crash down right on top of me. The fact that the first feeling to fill me is deja vu and not fear lets me know that this must be what a RESET looks like.

In my last moment I look down at my left hand and see that the blue glow surrounding it is gone. In that same instant I hear a child's voice scream at the tops of his lungs, "HELP!" I turn back to the black void and feel a sickening sensation of horror and guilt in my non-existent stomach

before it all goes white and-

* * *

 _ **ERROR: flowey. exe has been terminated.**_

 _ **Loading new game...**_

* * *

My eyes snap open, but I'm not sure why. It's not like I was having another nightmare - not one bad enough to remember, anyway. I slowly glance around, not certain of my location.

Yep, still in my room. Of course, where else would I be?

...Why do I feel so weird? Eh, whatever.

As I slide off the mattress, already dressed for the day in my dirty sweatpants and powder blue hoodie, a photo falls out of my inner pocket on top of my fuzzy pink slippers, face down. With no clue why I'd have a random photo in my pocket, I reach down and pick it up, noticing the phrase "Don't forget" faintly written on the back with pencil in a child's handwriting. I flip it over, unaware of what to expect.

A burning sensation fills my whole body, as though my SOUL has started pumping out fire instead of magic. I hold my free hand up in front of my face and see a red glow projected onto it.

Red? Since when did my eye glow red? ...Wait a second, isn't red -

 _ **DETERMINATION.**_

I remember now. Oh god, I remember it all. The human child, Papyrus, Undyne the Undying, Alphys, King Asgore, F-fl... what was it? Why can't I...

I figure it's just too much too soon, though it is weird that the latest of my reacquired memories seem blurrier. But that doesn't matter. That... sunflower?... is not my top priority. Whatever I was doing just before the RESET, I know what I have to do now. And it needs to be now, before Papyrus gets the chance to get any of this information out of me.

In the darkness of the early morning I slip down the creaky wooden stairs to grab a bag of popato chisps from the fridge. Thankful for the ugly violet and aquamarine striped carpet masking my footsteps (Papyrus was the one who picked it out), I open the fridge and feel around in the darkness until I find a single bag on my side that hasn't already been opened and emptied.

Just as I shut the fridge, I hear a door opening just to the left of the staircase, and I freeze in place.

"SANS!" Papyrus shouts in his usual outdoor voice. A moment later he corrects himself, calling out "SANS...?" in what is for him a whisper. When there's no response, I hear his elephant-like footsteps marching across the hallway directly above me while I use all of my willpower to hold in my breath. For a second I thought I would be safe, but I guess I must have left my bedroom door slightly open. I wince at the squeaking generated by him swinging it open.

Knowing I have a moment or two before he turns on the lamp and notices my absence, I whisper, "sorry bro," before warping myself outside. With all luck I'll get the chance to apologize to him later, when there's no one left to fear.

* * *

I take the long way through Snowdin Forest, figuring I have some time to kill before the human gets out of the RUINS - especially if they plan on killing every monster in there again. I can only pray that they will spare the nice old lady who I share knock-knock jokes with, but by acting now, I could potentially save everyone else.

I'm done putting irresponsible promises and impossible ideals over the lives of my friends and family.

 ** _I am determined._**

I run into very few monsters on my way to the huge locked door from which the anomaly will shortly emerge. They all seem to be able to tell that I'm different today, and just give me a simple greeting and a weird look as I pass them by. My slippers become damp from the snow, but I'm used to it. I don't bother zipping up my hoodie, because the determination pumping through me is keeping me just warm enough.

I reach the cracked lavender door much faster than I expected. I'm not used to having this much energy, but I also don't think I've ever been in a situation as seemingly urgent as this one - at least, not in a long, long time. I don't hear anyone on the other side, so I lean against the faded, crumbling wall.

I get the temptation to eat the chisps, and though the first few times I convince myself that they could come in useful later, I eventually give in, my body not used to going this long without food. I still try to chomp them as quietly as possible; now that I'm back to LOVE 1, surprise is one of the few things I have on my side in a theoretical fight.

Hey, speaking of which... I wonder if that injection of DT ended up affecting my base stats in some way? Seems like a good idea to check, so I do.

 **" _sans_ "**

 **KILLS: 0**

 **EXP: 0**

 **LOVE: 1**

 **Attack: 1**

 **Defense: 1**

 **HP: 1**

 **Speed: 23**

Huh, still got a higher speed stat then I remember. That could be useful.

I snap again and my SOUL disappears back into my chest. For the next few minutes, I prepare my words for the human with care. I need to be able to get all of my thoughts across before Papyrus comes along looking for me.

In the stillness and quiet, I find myself recalling what happened to Papyrus in the last timeline... how I tried and failed to save him. A series of words floats to the surface of my conscious, though I can't quite remember who said them.

 _"I thought you already knew... you already have another role to play."_

 _"We can't have anyone breaking the game, now came we..."_

An angered growl slips out from between my clenched teeth, but I can also feel a cloud of worrying beginning to stir up in the back of my head. What if, when the kid walks out of these sealed doors, I won't be able to interact with them in any way, no matter how hard I try? What if I'm forced against my will to play along, my body being controlled by some unknown puppeteer... or acting on some pre-written code, to go with the game metaphor?

What if this was all for nothing after all?

Is just a drop of determination enough change fate?

Just as I can feel my apathy rising up inside me at last, I hear the echoes of light footsteps on the other side of the door. They pause for a moment. I take the chance to catch my breath and steel myself for whatever is about to come. I guess I'm about to get the answer to my question, whether I like it or not.

The doors shudder.

I step foward and turn around to face the darkness.

Under my breath, I mutter three words:

 ** _"here we go."_**

* * *

 **Yay, part three is done, I'm happy it came out okay, and now I'm gonna go eat some waffles before I get started on part 4. Anyways, I hope you guys are enjoying the story, and I'm glad that some of you indeed enjoy it. I'll see ya next time!**


	4. Chapter 4: Anomalies

**Part 4: Anomalies**

 **PoV: [REDACTED]**

 _Where am I?_

 _How am I still alive?_

 _Am I even alive?_

 _Is this... hell?_

 _Why is it so quiet?_

There is no difference in vision between when my eyes are closed and when they are open. There is no fire, no light, no color. I am still falling, but much slower than before. There's no way to tell how long it's been; I have lost all sense of time. I can only wonder what the stupid determined bag of bones is up to now.

I look down and see no floor. I do, however, see a pair of fuzzy white feet which by no means belong on a flower.

 **Wait - does this mean I'm...**

I wiggle the legs I didn't have when I ended up here. I lift arms that shouldn't be attached to me and stare with a mixture of discomfort and elation at my own small paws. I pull on my floppy, furry ears and let out a little squeal.

 **Finally, I'm free.**

I was so tired of being a flower.

Doesn't really help the position I'm in right now, especially because I don't feel any less soulless. Maybe I just need the chance to try and empathize with someone... but who would there be to socialize with in a place like this?

My greatest fear has been relieved, at least in part, but my second-greatest is just now taking hold, and by the looks of things, it won't be letting go any time soon.

 **I am utterly alone.**

High off of hope, I gaze off in all directions, but there's still nothing to grab my attention. My optimism shrivels in the all-enveloping darkness. With every passing second the darkness seems to grow. The shadows feel as though they're cutting into me.

 **"Well, well. What have we here?"**

An ancient, velveteen voice echoes, loud but refined, through the immediate area, wrapping tightly around me like silk. I reach out to see if I can find the invisible speaker, but my hands only touch static.

 **"This would make for a very,**

 **VERY interesting experiment."**

Out of the corner of my eye I catch a flicker of movement. I whip around in mid-air to face it. A chill slides down my spine when I look where his eyes must be. I try to look away, but I'm frozen in place. His face fades in from the pitch black, followed by a neck and then a pair of disproportionately large skeletal hands. His form blends in with the darkness, making him seem gaseous in nature.

 **He smiles.**

 **"What do you think, young prince?"**

* * *

 **PoV: Frisk**

As the doors slowly shudder open, I have no idea what to expect. Even Chara doesn't know what to say, and ever since I've started this run, they've been extra chatty. It might just seem that way because I never really payed attention to them before, but still.

I shouldn't be worrying myself; maybe the Ruins are the only messed-up place. At the very least things will be a lot easier if I don't have any bosses to fight... though I was actually looking forward to doing Papyrus' puzzles. And Sans is always-

 **"heya, kiddo."**

My murderer stands just on the other side of the doorway, cast in shadow. Instantly my brain goes into panic mode. I'm not ready for this, I don't get another SAVE point until after I see Papyrus for the first time...

 _ **(*Breathe.)**_

I take in a quick breath as Chara suggests. The moment gives my head time to clear out all the nonsense. Sans doesn't remember what I did, so he has no reason to fight me. I'm fine.

 **"so, i've got another question for you."**

 _ **Or maybe not.**_

My hand clutches the Toy Knife tightly. I don't even know why I bothered to pick it up, and I hate how natural it feels in my grip. My free hand reaches into my pocket to pull out my old reusable bandage... not that it'll end up mattering against him.

Does everybody remember what I did last time? Is that why all the monsters in the Ruins seemed so on edge? Or is it just Sans?

...does he still have that photo?

"do you think that even the BEST person can change?"

I shouldn't be surprised by things being different anymore, but somehow the change of a single word catches me off guard. The meaning of the phrase is suddenly entirely different.

"that anybody can become a terrible person, if they try hard enough?"

My stomach heaves, because I know EXACTLY what - and who - he's talking about. I wait for Chara to offer support, but they remain silent. Knowing that he's waiting for an answer, I force myself to look him right in the eye. His grin widens to an unnatural degree.

"thought so. all right, pop quiz over."

A faint glow sparks in his eye, a threatening red. My SOUL trembles. I'm not strong enough to beat him, not even to survive long enough to plead my case. But I have to try. Because at this point, if I die again, even with all my determination... there's no guarantee that I'll be able to come back. That's not my choice anymore.

 **"time for the exam."**

* * *

 **PoV: Gaster**

Before me cowers the nearly soulless husk of Asriel Dreemurr, released from his physical plant form. Of all the faces I could have guessed would have shown up here eventually, his is the one I've been waiting on the longest. I already know how he ended up in this sorry state; the question now is if he does.

"Wh-who are y-you?" he stammers, paws fidgeting. "And... how do you know who I am?"

"Who I was is not important," I answer. "Now, I am no one. And from here, I can see everything."

"How... how did you get here?" he asks incredulously, the fear still present in his tone.

"Irrelevant." I respond. "How you got here is far more interesting."

"Really? Cause, I just got sorta dropped in," he laughs nervously. "Sans was..."

His eyes widen. "Wait, then you're - you have to be -"

"Yes, I WAS Doctor W. D. Gaster, Royal Scientist." I sigh, giving my neck a roll to loosen it up. "And if you are so smart, then you will understand why I have to do this."

Before he can even think to ask a question, I summon my greatest invention, hoping to end it quick. In the utter darkness of this horrid place, the light gathering within its bony jaws is a comforting sight. For the boy, however, it is anything but comforting.

He ducks in time to have the laser fire just above his head. The look of confusion in his upward gaze is disappointing.

"I told you child, I see everything," I remind him as I summon a wall of bones.

"And you have been a very naughty boy."

He stands perfectly still while the bones hurdle down at him, as if he is still in shock like the little boy he once was. However, just when it seems as though his fate is sealed, he leaps to the side, the proceeds to zig-zag through the rain of death. When he emerges unscathed there is a detestable smirk on his face. His appearance almost made me forget what he has become: a killing machine.

With a snap of my long, pale fingers another few blasters appear and fly after my target. They fire off one by one, and he skids past all but the last one.

"Hah," he pants, "I've seen worse from Smiley Trashbag himself!" His left arm clutches his hurt right side, and he bows his head slightly while continuing to take shallow breaths. "Though you sure do hit harder, I'll give ya that."

If he's already winded then this should end up being mercifully quick. I toss out more bones, this time with some light blue ones mixed in. Due to the lawless properties of the void, I have an infinite supply. Still, he manages to leap over most of them.

"Look, let's be honest here: what do you gain from killing me?" he asks, dusting himself off. "I can't hurt anyone else here."

I pause, and he takes the opportunity to send a few bullets my way. I let them hit me to assess how much damage they do.

Each tiny bullet causes me to lose 1 Hit Point.

Asriel's jaw drops at the sight of my HP bar, sitting at a ridiculous maximum of 666,666. A part of me wants to chuckle at it, but I quickly suppress the urge. I must not lose the advantage of intimidation.

"For a royal Boss Monster, that attack was utterly pathetic," I tell him straight up, hoping it will be enough of a demoralizing sentiment to lower his guard to where the next two or three blasters can finish him.

But instead of hopelessness in his eyes, I see rage. Rings of red form within the lime green, and his chest gives off a golden glow. Just as the blasters are about to fire, a group of thin, thorn-covered vines burst out of the non-existent ground and wrap around my creations, forcing their mouths shut.

With a raise of his hand the child summons more vines and sends them in my direction. Here, my liquid-like state comes in handy. I mold myself to narrowly mold them all, then send out a flurry of bones and blasters, now including my signature orange bones. This time, flower boy has less luck; it seems to simply be too much for him to handle.

He still stands tall at the end of the attack, but I can tell his HP has fallen significantly. If only this one weren't such a high LOVE...

"Can you even... like... kill someone here?" he calls out of pure desperation.

"Not exactly. Out there, you get killed. In here..." I prepare to summon a row of bones just beneath him. A cheap victory, for sure, but an efficient one.

 **"you get deleted."**

My fist closes over the empty space in my palm, but the delay on the attack is long enough for Asriel to roll to the side. His side ends up getting impaled by the very last column of bones to sprout up, and even after the attacks fade, he seems too weak to get up.

"Why... why are you... doing this... to me?" he asks tearfully as if he does not already know the answer.

"Because this is the only punishment that will last," I answer with a cold lack of sympathy as I float down to him. "No more RESETs to let you escape the consequences. This is justice for everyone you have hurt, intentionally or otherwise."

My eye is sparkling yellow. I wonder if I'm sounding too harsh... but if I go easy on him, I know that I won't have the heart to do it. "But more importantly... As the Royal Scientist tasked with studying timelines, it is my sovereign duty to eliminate any and all anomalies. It just so happens that you have had it coming for quite some time."

He struggles to sit up, then pitifully covers his face with his arms, as if it will save him from his righteous fate.

 **"I failed to set us free...**

 _ **and I WILL NOT fail at this."**_

Through his sobs he continues to beg for mercy. "I'm sorry, I... please... I don't want to die! Not like this!" he whines.

I summon one final blaster regardless. I will eliminate this little brat for good, and after that...

I'll be alone again.

 _ **forever.**_

I freeze up in the shadow of the sudden, overwhelming thought. Asriel notices and lifts his head, the red rings long gone from his eyes. I'm already on the verge of insanity, having gone so long without a single soul to have a conversation with. My only source of hope is living vicariously through the monsters whose lives I follow.

Perhaps having a companion is all I need. Certainly he wouldn't dare to try and pick a fight with me after this. Not to mention that with an ally by my side, the search for the remaining pieces of myself would theoretically go twice as fast. To be wholly myself again... my deepest desire...

 _ **And yet...**_

* * *

 **PoV: Sans**

I go easy on the kid to start, with just a few bones. They scramble to leap over them. It would probably be easier for them if they dropped their weapon, but clearly that idea never crossed their mind. Having checked me the first turn, it really all comes down to what they do now. If they choose to Fight at any point, then I know what to do... but if their first instinct is to show me mercy, then maybe things will go better this time.

For a few moments, the human just stands there in the snow. Then they start sniffling, and before I know it, I'm standing in front of a full-on crybaby in faded jeans and a striped sweater.

"Sans, please... I... I don't want to fight you." A faint golden glow emanates from their SOUL unlike everything I've ever seen.

I force myself to keep smiling. "i'm sure you don't wanna die again..." I snap, summoning a pair of Gaster Blasters on either side of me. "which is why you'd better get to making your case. and you'd best make it compelling; i'm the judge."

The blasters fire one after another, but the human barley dodges each, still unscathed. Until they get hit, I have no way to know how much HP they've got, and thus what LOVE they are. I mean, I could spend a turn checking them, but I don't want to give them any extra opportunities.

The kid wipes their face with their sleeve, then states me down with newfound confidence. "I spared you because I wanted the chance to fix my mistakes. Now here I am doing just that, and you're gonna try to kill me over it? Even though you know it's pointless?"

"yes and no." I shrug. "i assessed the threat, and now i'm neutralizing it. i'm gonna kill you as many times as it takes for you understand."

"Understand what?" they ask in a frustrated tone, their body beginning to shiver violently in the cold.

"that you ain't getting away with anything anymore." I answer before sending a cascade of bones their way. "i'mma make sure of that."

I can't help but be amused at watching the human dash back and forth in an attempt to make it out clean again. Their efforts are futile; they come out having taken considerable damage, but before I can read their max, they chomp down on a spider donut, healing themself to full.

"You don't have to do this, Sans," they plead, tears freely flowing. "I'm not going to let anyone else get hurt ever again. I promise."

A peaceful aura exudes from their tiny red SOUL, making my limbs relax of their own accord. I lock my gaze above their piteous face on the open doorway. As my gaze adjusts itself to the darkness, a whisper replays in the back of my skull.

 _"If a human ever comes through this door,_

 _watch over, and protect them, will you not?"_

 _"...ok, just for you, old lady. i promise not to let you down."_

 _"welp. sorry, old lady._

 _this is why i never make promises."_

My eyes drift back down to the child I swore and failed to protect. I scan them quickly but thoroughly for any sign that they might be disingenuous, and in doing so really notice the shiny plastic knife in their hand for the first time. I know they didn't have that in the photo from their pacifist run; they must have picked this up somewhere in the Ruins... and why bother to pick up a stronger weapon if you're not planning on hurting anyone, or at least not willing to?

"well kid, the thing about promises is..." I snap both fingers, and a dozen Gaster Blasters materialize above us, eyes glowing menacingly. The human takes a step back towards the darkness in terror, as they should.

 **"they're real easy to break."**

The blasters fire in a circle, and the kid runs for it. Unfortunately for them, they just aren't fast enough without those Sea Teas. They're halfway around the circle when the first laser passes through them. For that moment I can see their HP at a measly 20, dropping by one for every second they're hit. Time stops, leaving them frozen in place, the pain on their face too heartbreaking to look at. In that instant something clicks into place in my brain.

 _"STILL... I BELIEVE IN YOU!"_

 _"YOU CAN DO A LITTLE BETTER, EVEN IF YOU DON'T THINK SO!"_

 **"I... I PROMISE..."**

God, what am I doing? Is this what determination does to people - drive them to accomplish their goals, no matter how extreme or questionable the methods? I need to regain control of myself...

My hands reaches out, and I feel my eye give off a burst of light. The cracked SOUL turns dark blue, and I pull the human over to me just before they run out of Hit Points. The blasters continue to fire into the layer of densely packed snow covering the path, wiping the kid's footprints off the face of the Earth, before eventually disappearing like normal. When the danger has passed I drop the kid to the ground, harsher than I'd intended to. They look utterly confounded, which all things considered is completely understandable.

"...Sans? Are- are you okay?" they stammer worriedly as they stand.

Not sure what the most honest answer would be, I simply request, "be more specific."

"Well, to start... your eye... just now, it was - it was green. A-and it was red before, too." After a moment of pause they add, "I mean, I only ever saw it turn yellow and light blue... maybe it's always been able to do other colors, I wouldn't know-"

"nope, that's definitely a new thing," I assure them, stuffing my hands into my pockets and leaning back oh so slightly. "it was purple earlier as well... huh, I wasn't even using my psychokinesis that time, huh?"

The human cocks their head with a suspicious expression as they ask, "Do... do you know WHY this is happening? Or have an idea, at any rate?"

"hold your horses there, kid." i sigh. "if you're gonna keep asking me questions, then i get to ask you some first, right? it's only fair, after all."

It takes them a while to respond, so I decide to take the initiative. Funnily enough, it feels like I've already done this, but I know I didn't - not last timeline at least. "ok, first things first: you gave up on killing everybody to start over on a nicer path, and that's what you're doing now, right?"

They nod nervously, a genuine smile forming on their tear-stained face. They'd have to be an idiot to lie to me now.

"and you've already done a full pacifist run where you somehow managed to break the barrier... correct?"

Their head drops and their shoulders fall. Clearly they can tell where this is going. "Uh-huh," they mumble.

 **"then why reset the first time?"**

They whisper to themself too quietly for me to comprehend the words, with awkward pauses in between... almost like they're having a conversation with themself. It's certainly not a foreign concept to me.

Eventually they take in a deep breath and answer, "I... I don't know why they did it. I didn't even know they could... or that there was even someone else in the first place."

"who's they?" I ask without attempting to mask the suspicion in my tone. I pull my left arm out of my pocket as a warning. If they decide to fib, we can go through this whole song and dance over again.

"Actually, I was, uh, sorta hoping that you could tell me. I mean, out of all the monsters you seemed the most likely to get it."

"get what?" I press. Is this something the old man knew about?

"Sans, don't you understand?" they sigh. "I'm the protagonist... and 'they' are the player."

Really? That's the best excuse they could come up with? I start to chuckle at the utter ridiculousness of whatever they just said... until I remember something.

"We can't have anyone breaking the game, now can we...

YOU DIRTY HACKER"

The lines of code that fly past me when I teleport...

The invisible wall that stopped me from interfering in the battle with Papyrus...

The RESETs, the SAVE points, the timelines...

In a way, I guess I always knew. But being forced to confront the matter is entirely different. To think all of this boils down to just a game... was me injecting myself with determination part of the story too? Is everything the kid's saying right now not actually their words?

"so you're saying... that nothing last timeline... was your fault?"

Their answer, especially with how fast they deliver it, surprises me.

"Of course not! Well, I mean... they were the ones telling me what to do, yeah... but... I could have refused to listen to them at any point. They weren't forcing me to fight... and they weren't forcing me to ACT the first time either. I just took them as another voice in my head and followed their guidance... because I trusted them, and I was scared.

"I was happy the first time, getting to know all you, laughing at your jokes, sharing your pain... I could have left when we got to the surface, but I stayed. That was MY choice. And for a while, that voice in my head disappeared.

"But then I woke up back down here, and I was more frightened than ever. I attacked that first Froggit without thinking... and then there was a second voice in my head. One that want me to keep getting stronger, to gain more EXP and increase my LOVE. And I listened, because it sounded right and I didn't remember. I could only see you guys as monsters, and you all just saw me as a threat... well, most of you.

"I came back to my senses when I saw that photo. I don't how it ended up with you, but as soon as I saw it, I remembered everything. That's when I knew I HAD to fight back. So I spared you, and refused to come back after I died. I figured that would be it for me, but no. My spirit ended up stuck in this dark void, waiting for the player to RESET again. And that's where I m-"

They stop without warning, their hair standing up on end as though they just saw a ghost. When they see me giving them a weird look, they scramble to correct themself.

"A-and that's where I w-waited. It was really boring, actually. I couldn't help but wonder what you guys were up to. I thought I saw you once, Sans - but that must've just been me. It wasn't long after that that I finally woke up back in the Ruins... and that's where things got weird.

"Both times I went through the Ruins before, To- a nice monster lady brought me through, and I had to fight her to leave. But... she wasn't there this time, she... she just wasn't. And her house was empty too. Plus all the monsters in the Ruins seemed a lot sadder and lonelier. Not to mention that Fl-"

"alright, i think you've made your point, pal." I quickly interrupt, recalling that it won't be long before Papyrus shows up. "though i have to ask... you're still being controlled now, right?"

A puzzled look crosses their face. "I'm... not really sure, actually. I mean, all of this is definitely just me, but I heard their voice earlier... sorta. I couldn't make heads or tails of most of it; seems they're just as confused as I am. I think maybe, by acting out and sparing you, I weakened my connection to the player, at least a bit."

"makes sense to me. guess i owe you an explanation too, huh? don't worry, i'll try to summarize," I assure them. "basically, i wandered about a bit after I woke up and you weren't there, had some personal conversations i'd rather not relate, then a stupid flower showed up and told me stuff about you (can't remember his name for the life of me), so i..."

I pretend to be pausing for breath, but really I'm making a decision. Should I risk telling Frisk exactly what I did, especially if the player can hear me? It certainly isn't a light matter, that's for sure. They'll probably figure it out for themselves at some point... eh whatever, I'll just explain myself if and when that time comes. I'm not in the mood to get scolded by a child for making an irresponsible choice right now.

"went to extreme measures that you don't have to worry about. point is, now i can remember everything across resets and my left eye's turned into a nightlight. that good enough for ya?"

Their unsatisfied expression tells me that they know I'm hiding something important from them, but they don't seem to care too much.

"Thanks, Sans," they smile. "So... do you think we can end this battle now?"

"oh, yeah, sure," I laugh wholeheartedly. I stretch out my arms, on the verge of tears from the relief that's just washed over me.

 **"c'mere, pal."**

They step forward, but then pause, fear flickering across their face. They walk up to me, more hesitantly than before, but then squeeze me tight right around the spine. Not at all lethal, but still not that comfortable.

 **YOU WON!**

We stand there for a few moments, just the two of us. Then all of a sudden, the kid drops their arms and takes a step back.

"Wait - did you say you saw Flowey last timeline? Right before the RESET?" they ask in a mix of both excitement and apprehension.

Flowey, that's the devil's name. No wonder I forgot it. "yeah, what about him?"

"He was the other thing that was missing this time. Usually he tries to take my SOUL right when I wake up, and then he shows up again to taunt me right before I exit the Ruins." they explain. "At first I thought that maybe he remembered the last timeline and that he was still scared of me, for... fair reasons. But when Tor- the nice lady didn't show up either I started to get worried."

 **...**

 **Oh shit.**

I remember now what I was doing just before the Reset. I was interrogating Flowey at the Core, and when the world Reset, I...

I dropped him.

 **And that means...**

"Did you... do something to him?" They gasp, "Did you and him plot to kill me together? For revenge?!"

"no, no, nothing like that," I promise, beads of sweat forming on my skull. "it was actually sorta like what we're doing right now. the two of us were having a nice little chat over at the Core, and he... well... fell into the void."

I know I've messed up as soon as I see a look of pure horror erupt onto their face. For a second I almost think they're gonna fight me, their SOUL burning a hateful red within their chest, but they stop themself. They won't spare me any words, though.

"You mean he... doesn't exist anymore?!"

"he exists as much as gaster does," i answer jokingly in a halfhearted attempt to lighten the mood. "i'm just gonna assume you know who gaster is since you know about what happens if you fall in the void, right?"

Without any warning they scream, "Do you even know how much depends on him?! He's the REASON the barrier was even broken!" Seemingly talking more to themself now than me, they continue, "If he never existed, then that means Toriel must still be back at the capital, which means... what else must have changed?! How am I supposed to... am I even the eighth human to fall down anymore?"

Their eyes widen as they pause to catch their breath. Turning to their left, they yell at the air as though they've gone insane, "How are YOU even still here?! Without Asriel, you wouldn't have done the whole 'eat some buttercups so my brother can take my soul and go to the surface to kill some more humans' plan, so what? Did you just die from the fall?!"

Asriel...? The name sounds familiar, but I can't quite place a face to it.

"you doin' ok there bud? look, i get it, I messed up big time," I admit, "but we can deal with this -"

"SHUT UP!" they wail before sinking to their knees in the snow. "You can't do anything... I can't do anything... I might as well just give up."

Their SOUL emerges from their chest, a paler red than before.

 **"Go ahead, take it... this is the only way I can help you now."**

"ah c'mon now pal, don't be like that," I sigh, plopping myself down in front of them. "you're better than that - believe me, i've seen it."

They don't even lift their head to respond, but I can tell they're crying again. I didn't realize until now how much of a pain I must be to deal with on a daily basis. Huh... I wonder... what would Papyrus say to me if I was feeling like this?

"look, kid, i'm sure you didn't make it through the whole underground by just being nice, all on your own. we helped you out, didn't we? that's what friends are supposed to be for, at any rate. and we're gonna help you this time, too. so don't go stressing about having to carry this burden alone, because you don't. you're only alone if you choose to be."

Slowly they lift their face, accompanied by a few sniffles. "B... but what if we can't? I... I just want to make you guys happy. You all deserve it - way more than I do."

"worst comes to worst, we'll make the best of what we've got," I assure them. "life on the surface never really appealed to me, personally. living down here ain't that bad once you get used to it."

I reach out to envelop them in a second hug. "and don't go saying you don't deserve forgiveness, alright? flowey sure didn't (unless you know something i don't, which is likely), but i'm sure you forgave him all the same when given the chance. heck, i probably don't deserve a second chance at being your friend either, and yet here we are."

They mumble into my sleeve in response. The ensuing silence is comforting, but it's disturbed by the soft crunch of footsteps not too far off.

"sounds like paps is coming to crash the party," I warn the human as I stand and brush myself off. "i'm gonna go talk to alphys, see what's changed, come up with a plan. you just... do whatever you're supposed to, and i'll try to catch up with you before you get too far into waterfall. oh, and make sure to SAVE your game frequently, alright?"

"I will, for sure. Thanks Sans, for everything. I really appreciate you not killing me," they giggle meekly, using their already damp sleeve to wipe away the last few remaining tears. "I'll... see you later, I guess."

"that's a deal," I wink, stepping aside into the snow-covered bushes just my height before Papyrus can spot me.

As the human is walking away, dwarfed by the shadows of the looming pine trees on either side of them, they stop and turn back for just a moment to call out, "Oh, and, so you know... my name is Frisk. But - don't tell everybody that, alright? Not unless you have to - it's... personal."

"gotcha. your secret's safe with me," I promise.

I wait until both Frisk and Papyrus are out of sight before carefully navigating my way out of the tangle of prickly branches. After shaking like a wet dog for a few seconds to get the snow off of me, I quickly check inside my hoodie to make sure the photo that started it all is still there. I'm still somewhat unsettled by just how happy everybody present in that picture looks... and now I can't help but wonder if any of them will ever be that happy again. If not, it'll be my fault - which is why I have to do what I previously thought impossible.

I HAVE to fix the machine.

I HAVE to bring him back.

It's only as I'm putting the photo away that I notice something off about my right hand. Once the photo is safely tucked away I lift my arm again to get a closer look. My SOUL drops into my stomach as I realize what this means. Before I begin hyperventilating I force myself to stay calm. I knew the risks going into this whole mess, and there's nothing I can do about it now.

All it means is that now, we're working on a time limit. The only thing that really matters is breaking that barrier, once and for all, no matter the cost.

The kid matters, not me.

 **Frisk is the one that matters.**

I shove my right hand into my pocket, not able to bear looking at it anymore.

At least it isn't my dominant hand that's melting.

 **No one can know.**

* * *

 **So yeah, that was my first attempt at writing an Undertale fight scene... it probably sucked, which is why I went light on the fighting for the Sans/Frisk portion of the story. And from this point I don't really have that much of a plan. I don't know what the next chapter will be called, or when it'll be out. Hopefully I can post it soon and I hope you guys enjoy it, as well as the story as a whole!**


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